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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29171907">Merging</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/rhps_brad_fan/pseuds/rhps_brad_fan'>rhps_brad_fan</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Charmed (TV 1998)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Demonic Possession, F/M, FebuWhump2021, Gen, Implied/Referenced Mind Control, Possession</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 12:00:51</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,116</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29171907</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/rhps_brad_fan/pseuds/rhps_brad_fan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Phoebe is possessed. Cole isn't giving up.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Phoebe Halliwell/Cole Turner</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Merging</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written to fill the Febuwhump 2021 prompt "Mind control". Just trying to get back in the regular habit of writing!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Phoebe, this isn't you," Cole tried again, looking desperately to his girlfriend who they currently had trapped in the crystal cage.</p>
<p>None of them really knew how it happened. A simple vanquish turned possession and now one of their own was battling a force within. She'd turned on them quickly - the spirit taking hold of her clearly having no sense of subtlety. She'd lashed out, first at Cole and then the others before they were able to lure her into the attic where they currently had her confined. It had been days now since the initial possession and they still weren't sure how to get the malevolent spirit out of her. The book had been no help and they feared if they didn't free Phoebe soon, that they'd lose her completely.</p>
<p>"You're half right," She told him, a sly smirk crossing her features. "She's still in here. I can let her out if you'd let me out," She tempted him.</p>
<p>"You're not getting out of this cage until we can vanquish you completely. We're working on that," Cole assured her with a glare. "I think we both know the difference between dead and <i>dead</i>. I'm going to make sure you won't even be sent to the Wasteland."</p>
<p>"You're so touchy. This is going to be permanent whether you like it or not. If you work with me, she'll live on," The entity offered him. "Would it make you feel better to speak with her?"</p>
<p>In the blink of an eye, her demeanor completely changed. Phoebe sat before him, looking terrified. "Cole, I can't fend it off," She admitted to him. "Whatever it's doing, it's like it's pushing me down. I can't hold it off."</p>
<p>"Phoebe, it's okay," Cole assured her. "We're going to fix this."</p>
<p>Phoebe shook her head. "You don't understand. It's in my thoughts... It's like we're merging," She admitted. "Even now, this isn't all me. If you vanquish it, you'll vanquish me. It's becoming part of me or maybe I'm becoming part of it."</p>
<p>Cole hadn't realized that was an option. "Your sisters and I won't allow that to happen," He promised her. "There's always a way out of this."</p>
<p>"I'm not so sure this time," She admitted to him. "If it comes down to it, you have to promise me. Promise me you'll do what you need to do and vanquish me."</p>
<p>"It won't come to that," Cole told her firmly.</p>
<p>"If it does..."</p>
<p>Cole sighed. "There will be another way." He wasn't going to give up that easily on her. He looked at her as he tried to think of something more than a simple platitude to offer her. In all of his years as an upper level demon, he'd never been on this side of the equation before.</p>
<p>"It hurts to try to stay in control," Phoebe admitted to him with tears forming at the corners of her eyes.</p>
<p>That was it. "It hurts? It physically hurts?" Cole asked her, just to be sure and she nodded. "Phoebe, just hang on," He urged her. He went over to the doorway and yelled out. "Leo!"</p>
<p>In a show of lights, Leo soon appeared in the attic. "What is it? Is something wrong? Did something happen?" He asked worriedly.</p>
<p>Cole took him aside for a moment, out of Phoebe's and the entity's earshot. "It's hurting her. You need to heal her," Cole urged him.</p>
<p>For a moment, Leo wasn't quite following. "I can't heal evil. You know that-"</p>
<p>"She's not all evil. Phoebe's still in there. You were able to heal my human half when I was injured. The same thing should apply here, except it's hurting her internally. If I'm right, best case scenario, you heal her and it exorcises the demon. Worst case, you get thrown across the room."</p>
<p>Leo stared at him for a moment, still uncertain about the whole plan. "No, the worst case scenario is that we let her out of the crystal cage in order to do this and she ends up hurting someone or gets away in Phoebe's body."</p>
<p>"We can't just keep her in there forever. How are Piper and Paige doing?" Cole asked him, still keeping his voice low.</p>
<p>"They're close to a vanquish, just in case… but they're no closer to getting that thing out of her," Leo admitted.</p>
<p>"Then we have to try. Please, Leo. I'm right. I have to be right. I can't lose her."</p>
<p>Leo was still conflicted, but he knew this might be their only hope. "We're not doing anything without her sisters."</p>
<p>As if on cue, both Piper and Paige bounded into the room. "Cole, we heard you yell. Is she okay?"</p>
<p>"I've got a plan-"</p>
<p>"Part of a plan," Leo was quick to chime in, much to Cole's chagrin.</p>
<p>"Get ready to freeze Phoebe. We're going to get her out of the cage."</p>
<p>"That doesn't sound like much of a plan," Piper said skeptically.</p>
<p>"More like a suicide mission," Paige muttered and Piper gave her a look.</p>
<p>"Leo's going to heal her. It should work," He insisted.</p>
<p>"And if it doesn't?" Piper asked and Cole glanced down to the potions that were in Paige's hands.</p>
<p>"That's not an option. I will not lose another sister," Piper told him.</p>
<p>"So then join me in hoping that this works. We have nothing to lose and everything to gain right now if it does. Freeze her. Paige get ready to orb the crystals and Leo, get ready to heal her," Cole ordered them, before glancing back at Phoebe.</p>
<p>Everyone took their positions and set the plan into motion. They all knew that the entity would break free of the freeze quickly so there wasn't much time to waste. They all moved swiftly. Paige and Piper worked in tandem to both move the crystals and to freeze Phoebe. From there, Leo stepped in, using his whitelighter powers to try to heal her. As the light emitted from his hands, they could see the dark entity leaving Phoebe.</p>
<p>Cole had taken the potions from Paige and he threw them now at the spirit that had left his girlfriend. It was vanquished in a flash of fire and Cole felt satisfied that the entity that had possessed her would never be able to hurt her again.</p>
<p>"Is she okay?" Piper was the first to ask, rushing over to her sister, who was now unfrozen.</p>
<p>"It's me. I'm okay. It's gone now," Phoebe assured and the relief she was feeling was evident in her features. Her sisters moved in first to hug her and Cole stood back, allowing them their moment. She was going to be okay and that was all that mattered.</p>
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